SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - August 26, 2008 -- Regan Downton
Denham, most recently of Missouri Baptist University in
St. Louis, has been named Head Women's Lacrosse Coach as well as an
Assistant Professor of Physical Education at Springfield College,
according to Springfield's Director of Athletics Cathie
Schweitzer.
Having spent the last two years as the head coach at Missouri
Baptist, Denham will take the reins of a Pride squad that went 10-7
last season and reached the semifinals of the New England Women's
and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Tournament. Springfield has
won three NEWMAC tournaments in the past eight years.
"I have been consistently impressed with Springfield College,"
said Denham. "As a teacher, I admire the Humanics philosophy and
the college's commitment to its students' success. As a coach, I am
excited by the new facilities and the strong program already in
place. I'm looking forward to getting started."
Denham led the Missouri Baptist Spartans, a NAIA institution, to
a winning record in just its second year of existence. Before
becoming a head coach, Denham served as an assistant coach at
Averett University in Danville, Va., where she helped the squad
earn a berth in the USA South Conference Tournament after it had
previously not won a game in its first three years as a program.
She was also the assistant coach at Drew University in Madison,
N.J., where she served as the interim head coach during a maternity
leave. Under her direction, Denham guided Drew to a 14-6 overall
record, a trip to the NCAA Division III Tournament's "Sweet 16",
and a top-20 ranking in the IWCLA poll.
In her playing days, after transferring from Vanderbilt
University in Nashville, Tenn., Denham became a midfielder at
Messiah College in Grantham, Pa., where she served as a two-time
team captain. A four-time Middle Atlantic All-Conference selection,
Denham broke eight school records during her stay at Messiah, from
where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in History in 2004.
Denham went on to complete her master's of science degree in
Physical Education at Missouri Baptist in April of 2008.